This invention relates to media roll supply assemblies, and more particularly, to an economical and versatile multi-roll media supporting and supply system that enables any one of a plurality of rolls supported thereon to be economically and easily fed to a roll using machine such as to a printer/copier or plotter.
Printers and plotters which use image recording media and are capable of producing copies of large documents such as engineering drawings, blueprints and the like, are of course well known. As disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,611, the image recording media, typically paper, is commonly supplied in the form of a heavy roll that is wound about an inner core. The roll as such must be stored, and later supported and supported (by some type of a roll supporting and supply system) in an axial position so that the paper can be easily unrolled in a generally flat condition and then fed into a media or paper path of the particular machine using it.
Some media roll using machines such as wide format copiers use three rolls of media, arranged conventionally in a vertical, or near vertical array. This results in a higher machine than desired, as well as in various lengths of media between the roll and the next stage of the process, usually a cutter. Consequently, there is a need to significantly rewind the media web from a feeding roll, if it is desired to remove it for any reason, or if it is the end of a roll. Such conventional roll media supporting assemblies typically: are loadable only from one side, have a relatively large footprint; require significant downtime for rewinding in order to switch rolls; and require remote or difficult storage of roll or rolls needed next for loading. Such a roll media supporting and supply system is thus not economical or easy to use.
There is therefore a need for a roll media supporting and supply system that: is loadable from more than one side, has a relatively small footprint; requires little or no downtime for rewinding in order to switch rolls; and requires no remote or difficult storage of roll or rolls needed next for loading. In addition, there is a need for a roll media supporting and supply system that: is loadable while also feeding.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a multi-roll media supporting and supply system for supporting and supplying a web of media from a roll of media to a media using machine. The multi-roll media supporting and supply system includes a support mechanism having a first side and a second side; a media supply assembly supported rotatably on the support mechanism, including a cylindrical member having a circular periphery, a shaft defining a first axis of rotation, and a plurality of elongate recesses, each for supporting a roll of media. The multi-roll media supporting and supply system also includes a staging assembly associated with at least one of the first side and the second side of the support mechanism for assisting loading of a roll of media onto the media supply assembly.